CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE TREW
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
TREW
The sun was slipping below the horizon by the time we approached the island with Syllavar Court.
Isi sat in front of me on Lakast’s back, her body warm against mine, her head resting on my shoulder. The steady rhythm of the dragon’s wings created a lulling cadence that most would find peaceful.
But my mind refused to rest, racing through everything we’d discovered in the tower. The poison ingredients. The Skathe research and experimentation. The maps of my castle with Isi’s routines marked in bright ink. The evidence of someone torturing Fenmark and Addie.
And the notes about controllers. Plural.
My arm tightened around Isi’s waist. She was safe, but for how long if someone in my own court wanted her dead? The thought kept my jaw clenched hard enough to make it ache.
Kyreth flew parallel to us, close enough that I could make out our friends’ profiles in the starlight, all three of them exhausted but alert.
They’d protect Isi if something happened to me. That knowledge eased some of the worry spiking through my chest.
Isi shifted against me, tilting her head to look up. “You’re brooding.”
“I’m thinking.”
“Same thing.” She traced her fingers along my forearm where it wrapped around her waist. “What’s bothering you?”
Everything. Nothing. She couldn’t remain at Caldrith but bringing her to Syllavar might be leading her straight into another trap.
I didn’t need to name it. She already knew and still wanted to be with me.
“We need to talk about what we found in the tower,” I said. “And about what we dare tell people when we arrive.”
“You want to keep some of it a secret.”
“For now.” I kissed her temple, breathing in her sweet scent. “The Skathe research and Addie’s possible traveling. The torture. The fact that someone has been intently studying our court. All of that stays between us and our friends until we know who we can trust.”
“You don’t trust your own advisors?”
Did I trust them? A few weeks ago, I would’ve said yes, without hesitation.
Grayson had been my father’s most loyal advisor.
Coralee was family. Malcolm had trained me since I was barely old enough to hold a sword.
Kira… Well, she was the one I trusted the least, but her recent actions had been motivated by jealousy.
I doubted she’d betray our court in this way.
“I don’t know,” I said, the admission tasting bitter. “And until I do, we can’t take the risk.”
She was quiet for a moment, her fingers continuing their absent pattern on my arm. “You suspect someone in Syllavar was involved with the attempts on my life. That it wasn’t someone infiltrating your court.”
“The assassin knew things they shouldn’t have. Your schedule. Where you’d be at any given time of day. When you’d be most vulnerable.” Hoarseness filled my voice. “That information had to have come from inside my court.”
“Or from Caldrith. My father could have spies—”
“He’d be a fool not to try.” I turned my head enough to brush my lips against her hair. “But the level of detail in those maps we found took time to gather. And someone has been watching you specifically.”
“Do you think one of your advisors could be working with my father?”
“I can’t ignore that possibility just because they’re family or because I’ve known them for a long time.” The words came out bitter. “If anyone in my court harms you, family or not, I’ll end them without hesitation.”
She turned in my arms as much as the position allowed, meeting my gaze. The starlight caught in her pale blue eyes, making them glow. “Then we’ll investigate carefully.”
“Exactly. And that means keeping most of our discoveries quiet for now. We’ll tell our friends everything. They’ve earned our trust. But my advisors only get what they need to know to help us prepare for war.”
“What about Kira?” The question came out soft, but it held a hint of irritation. “She could be a traitor.”
The worry I’d been suppressing clawed at my throat. Kira was deadly and capable. She’d also been positioned perfectly to gather intelligence on Isi. “We’ll ask delicate questions about her when we arrive. See what we can discover.”
Isi studied my face, reading the tension there. “You’re worried we’re walking into danger.”
“I’m worried I’m bringing you into danger.” I cupped her cheek, brushing my fingertips across her skin. “You just escaped one cage. I won’t let my court become another.”
“It won’t.” She leaned into my touch. “Because you’re not my father, Trew. You don’t rule through fear or control. You lead with loyalty and trust, even when that trust has been broken.”
The certainty in her voice eased the pain in my chest. “You have too much faith in me.”
“I have exactly enough faith in you.” She pressed her hand over mine on her cheek. “We’ll figure out who’s betraying us. We’ll free those prisoners. We’ll stop my father’s war. I trust in our ability to do this.”
There she was, the fierce woman who’d cut herself free from a wedding dress and threatened guards with a sword. The warrior who’d survived the betrayal of a parent and assassination attempts. She still chose to fight rather than run.
“You’re exactly who you were always meant to be,” I said softly.
She considered that. “Yes. I think that’s right.”
Despite the angle, I curled forward and kissed her.
When we broke apart, we were both breathing hard.
The knot in my chest hadn’t vanished, but her strength anchored me for now, enough to push the doubt aside and focus on what lay ahead.
The risk lingered, but I could trust her to stand firm, and that would have to hold until we uncovered the truth.
“That’s better,” she said with a smile. “I prefer you confident over brooding.”
“I’ll try to remember that.”
She settled back against my chest, and I tucked her closer, one hand splayed across her abdomen. “So what should we tell them? I don’t believe we should keep my true identity a secret any longer.”
“Agreed. As for the rest…” I explained my thoughts and rationale.
“Yup,” she said when I’d finished. “It’s enough to tease but not enough of a reveal to give a spy the information they’re seeking.”
We flew for a while, the only sounds were the beat of our dragons’ wings and the wind rushing past.
Pherin and Gavelle had scouted ahead earlier, their small forms darting through the darkness. Now they returned, Pherin landing on Isi’s shoulder while Gavelle circled overhead.
Home close, Gavelle said through our bond.
We’d been flying for hours, and exhaustion pulled at all of us. But sleep would have to wait. There was still a lot to do before we could rest. The moment we landed, I’d have to be their king again and face my advisors with suspicion that felt like betrayal.
“There.” Isi pointed ahead where distant lights had begun to appear on the horizon. “Syllavar.”
My kingdom. My home. My court.
The lights grew brighter as we approached, and I could make out the castle’s silhouette against the night sky.
Torches lined the walls and courtyard, more than usual.
They were expecting us, then. Gavelle would’ve informed the Beast Council, and they would’ve notified my advisors’ companions who, in turn, would’ve shared the news.
“Ready to face whatever comes next?” I asked Isi quietly.
“No.” She laughed softly. “But let’s do it anyway.”
That was my Minx. Brave even when concerned.
The dragons began their descent, angling toward the main courtyard where I could already see figures gathering. A welcoming party, assembled to greet their returning king.
And the woman they didn’t know I intended to make their queen.
The ground rose up to meet us, torchlight shining on faces turned upward. I recognized Grayson, his white owl perched on his shoulder. Coralee stood beside him, her ermine a pale streak across the shoulders of her dark gown. Malcolm waited near the edge of the crowd, his face expressionless.
No Kira, but she could be elsewhere.
Lakast’s talons touched stone with barely a whisper of sound, the landing so smooth that Isi didn’t even shift against me. Kyreth landed nearby, and Lexie’s relieved sigh carried across the courtyard.
The gathered crowd remained still, waiting for me to dismount. Protocol. Tradition. The careful dance of court life that suddenly felt suffocating.
I climbed off Lakast’s back, then reached toward Isi as she slipped down the enormous beast to the ground. Her hands gripped my shoulders, and I lowered her carefully to the smooth stones.
She stood beside me with Pherin on her shoulder, her chin lifted, her expression composed despite the exhaustion I knew she must feel. She still wore my tunic, and her hair was tangled from flight.
My Minx looked like a warrior returning from battle, which is exactly what she was. She looked perfect.
As the dragons took off to fly to their aerie where they’d find warm stalls and plenty of food and water, Grayson stepped forward, his face creased with relief. “Your Majesty. We’re glad to see you returned safely.”
Coralee stood nearby. Her gaze shifted to Isi, then back to me. “We thought perhaps Kira had joined you on your…journey.”
The implication hung in the air, that I’d abandoned my kingdom for a romantic escape with a woman many assumed incorrectly was my lover.
“You’re saying Kira hasn’t returned from Silverstream?” I asked.
She blinked but recovered quickly before shaking her head. “No. Did she remain behind?”
“Yes, she did.”
Kira had said she wanted time to think. While there was no rushing someone who needed to contemplate things, she should’ve returned by now.
Grayson must’ve noted my irritation because he stiffened. “I’ll send someone to Silverstream immediately to inquire about her whereabouts.”
“Yes, do that.”
He lifted his hand and a guard strode over. They spoke quietly for a moment before the guard strode away.
“You assumed I’d leave Syllavar during a crisis to gallivant across the continent?” My voice came out sharp enough to make my aunt flinch. “While Skathes mass at our border?”